Leucrotta

Leucrotta

Species	beast
No. Appearing	1–4
Behaviour	subsocial
Range	barrens, desert
Size	7 ft. at the shoulder
Weight	2,900 lbs.
Intelligence	9
Armour Class	4
Hit Dice	6+1
Action Points	6
Max. Stride	20
THAC0	17
Hp/Die	3d4
Attack Forms	1: bite
Damage	3–12
Special Attacks	back kick, calling, +2 to hit with bite

Leucrotta are swift, cunning beasts found across a wide swath of southern Asia, ranging from the highlands of Persia to the floodplains of the Indus River basin. Throughout this territory, they are feared as predators of both livestock and solitary travellers. Though quadrupedal and animal in form, their intelligence borders on the unnatural; some accounts speak of them mimicking human voices to lure prey into ambushes, though this may be an exaggeration drawn from frightened herdsmen and merchants.

The leucrotta is a large, powerfully built hoofed creature; its limbs are long and corded with muscle, allowing it to deliver devastating kicks strong enough to kill a bull. Despite its size, it is capable of lowering itself like a deer and lying completely flat to the ground, often remaining perfectly still for hours. In sandy or stony terrain, it will burrow shallow depressions to conceal its form, using the scrub and dust to vanish even in open country.

In the wild, leucrotta are seldom hunted, as their flesh is bitter and their hides of little use. Few predators threaten them directly, and when confronted, they fight with fearless aggression. Their cunning and ferocity, combined with their difficult terrain, has made them a lasting menace across many trade routes and frontier provinces.

Behaviour

Leucrotta favour dry, sun-blasted landscapes — arid valleys, abandoned riverbeds and highland passes where vegetation is sparse and cover is minimal. These environments suit their colouration and their habit of motionless ambush. They do not build dens but establish wide roaming territories, often returning to the same shaded rocks or hollowed ground to rest during the heat of the day. Though solitary by nature, they may be encountered in mated pairs during the dry season. They are known to stalk caravans, circling from a distance until they find an isolated animal or unguarded flank to exploit. Their hooves make almost no noise on hard ground and their bursts of speed are formidable, allowing them to close distance before an alarm can be raised.

The leucrotta is an exceptionally sly predator, capable of mimicking human speech with uncanny precision. It uses this ability to lure victims by remaining hidden while calling out phrases such as "help me" or "is someone there," preying on the empathy or caution of those who hear it. This deception is often employed at dusk or under cover of terrain, where the creature's body remains concealed. It has also mastered the imitation of whistles, clicks and tongue-noises used by herders to summon dogs, horses and cattle, drawing animals away from the safety of a group so they may be killed in isolation.

It's bold in an ambush but disdains protracted or group combat. When faced with multiple enemies, the leucrotta will spin in place and deliver a devastating backward kick.

Advantages

The beast's jaw strength and swiftness enables it to strike its target with sudden lunges. This is done with a +2 bonus to its ability to hit. If approached from the rear, it with both bite and kick in the same turn; both hooves hit together with one attack roll, causing 3-18 damage on a hit. The beast's flexibility allows it to deliver this kick to its flank as easily as it's rear.

If pressed in battle and driven to less than a quarter of its hit points, the leucrotta will spin, deliver one final kick attempt and then bound away in a long, loping gait. It will make no effort to continue the engagement, preferring to escape rather than be taken down.

See Bestiary